Scott Kurtz’s is taking his seminal PvP Webcomic collections back to self-publishing, and will be releasing the next trade paperback collection under his own Toonhound Studios banner.  He’ll be selling the collections direct to consumers from his Website and direct to retailers. 

Existing PvP collections will continue to be available from Image and Diamond Comic Distributors.

The monthly comic has been cancelled with issue #45. 

Kurtz pointed to changing sales patterns as the reason for his move, with declining sales through stores coupled with increasing direct-to-consumer sales; and declining sales of monthly comics coupled with increasing sales of trade paperbacks.

Kurtz had kind words for Image, which has published PvP for eight years.  “Image has been an amazing publisher,” he said.  “Jim Valentino believed in Webcomics before anyone else in the industry.  Erik Larsen and Eric Stephenson were instrumental in helping PvP shine.  I still believe that Image is the best game in town for independent creators.  I’m proud to continue offering my existing trades through them.”